So yes, the Game of Thrones influence on these dire wolves is strong. However, Thrones is just a fantasy, as fleeting as a dream of spring. The return of the ancient dire wolf—or at least a modern approximation of it—is now a scientific reality. This will have reverberations long after a hundred winters have come and gone.

Colossal claimed the genetically engineered pups are the first dire wolves in 10,000 years. Scientists say they are impressive but not an example of “de-extinction.”